Vijayawada Gripped by Traffic Gridlock During Anti-Drugs Awareness Rally
The city of Vijayawada experienced a major traffic standstill on Tuesday, with vehicular movement coming to a complete halt on several key roads. This disruption was directly attributed to poor traffic management by the city police during a cycle rally organized as part of the "Drugs Pai Dandayatra" campaign, a state government initiative aimed at raising awareness against drug abuse.
Rally Route and Traffic Blockades Cause Widespread Disruption
As part of the awareness program, a cycle rally involving police personnel, college students, and school children was conducted from the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium to Benz Circle. To facilitate this event, the city police implemented a complete blockade of one side of MG Road between IGMC and Benz Circle, forcing vehicles to use only one side of the road for bidirectional traffic.
Additionally, traffic police placed barricades to prevent vehicles from entering MG Road from Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road. These measures, intended to ensure the smooth conduct of the rally, instead resulted in severe traffic congestion across the city, particularly during peak evening hours.
Public Transport System Severely Impacted
The traffic police had reportedly informed the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) about the planned blockade on MG Road and instructed them to scale down city bus operations. An RTC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the corporation reduced its services accordingly.
However, the official elaborated that the situation on the ground was far more chaotic than anticipated. "Contrary to the traffic police claims, police personnel blocked RTC buses on the Krishna Lanka highway stretch and along five key routes," the official stated. This action left thousands of passengers stranded, forcing many to walk or seek private transportation alternatives, as city buses were completely prevented from entering MG Road and were diverted at the Auto Nagar gate itself.
Commuters Bear the Brunt of Poor Planning
The traffic diversion strategies implemented by authorities had a cascading effect on daily commuters. Traffic police diverted vehicle traffic at Auto Nagar around 2 PM and rerouted RTC city buses towards Mahanadu Road via Eluru Road to reach the city bus depot. This led to significant inconvenience for thousands of people, including daily wage laborers, college and school students, and office workers.
K Ramaniah, an employee at an insurance firm located on MG Road, expressed frustration over the situation. "School and college buses, along with parents who come in personal vehicles to pick up their wards, were stuck for long hours in traffic congestion. This is not an ideal time for the authorities to block MG Road and conduct a rally," he remarked.
Lack of Coordination Exacerbates Crisis
Further investigations revealed that the city police did not conduct a coordination meeting with relevant departments to ensure the free flow of vehicular traffic during the event. This lack of inter-departmental planning contributed significantly to the widespread disruption and public inconvenience.
The incident highlights the critical need for better traffic management strategies during public events in Vijayawada, especially when they involve major road closures during peak traffic hours. While the anti-drugs awareness campaign is a commendable initiative, its execution caused unintended hardship for the very citizens it aims to protect.
